The following disclosure relates to a tape and a tape cassette.
There is known a printing apparatus configured to, in a case where the printing apparatus prints on a strip-shaped print tape an image having a width greater than that of the print tape, split print data for image printing into a plurality of partial data and print images on a plurality of portions of the print tape in its longitudinal direction based on the plurality of the created partial data. After the printing apparatus performs printing on the print tape based on the plurality of the partial data, the portions of the print tape which correspond to the respective partial data are stuck to each other by a user with respect to positioning marks.
In the case where a plurality of print tapes are stuck to each other, accurate positioning is preferable. The above-described conventional printing apparatus enables positioning with respect to the marks, but when the user sticks the print tapes to each other, the user needs to perform positioning of the print tapes in a state in which the entire release paper is peeled off. Thus, adhesive portions of the print tapes different from its sticking regions may adhere to user's hand or an object, leading to low workability in sticking.
Accordingly, an aspect of the disclosure relates to a tape and a tape cassette with improved workability in sticking of a plurality of media to each other in a case where an image wider than a medium stuck to a strip-shaped sheet is split into a plurality of portions each having a width less than the width of the medium and is printed on the medium.
One aspect of the disclosure relates to a tape comprising: a sheet having a strip shape; a plurality of pairs of first media and second media, each of the plurality of pairs comprising a first medium and a second medium arranged adjacent to each other in a longitudinal direction of the sheet, the first medium and the second medium being spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction, the first medium and the second medium being peelably stuck to the sheet; a first separating line formed at a portion of the sheet which is located between the first medium and the second medium of one pair of the plurality of pairs of the first media and the second media, the first separating line extending, in a widthwise direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, over at least a portion of a region extending in the widthwise direction from a first end of the sheet in the widthwise direction to a second end of the sheet in the widthwise direction, the first separating line comprising a portion formed through or cut in the sheet in a thickness direction of the sheet, the first medium comprising a first end and a second end in the widthwise direction, the first end of the first medium in the widthwise direction being nearer in the widthwise direction to the first end of the sheet in the widthwise direction than the second end of the first medium in the widthwise direction, the second medium comprising a first end and a second end in the widthwise direction, the first end of the second medium in the widthwise direction being nearer in the widthwise direction to the first end of the sheet in the widthwise direction than the second end of the second medium in the widthwise direction; a first cutting portion formed through the first medium and extending from the first end of the first medium in the widthwise direction to a first endpoint located between the first end of the first medium in the widthwise direction and a center position of the first medium in the widthwise direction; a second cutting portion formed through the second medium and extending from the first end of the second medium in the widthwise direction to a second endpoint located between the first end of the second medium in the widthwise direction and a center position of the second medium in the widthwise direction, the second endpoint and the first cutting portion being equidistant in the longitudinal direction from a center position of the portion of the sheet in the longitudinal direction, which portion is located between the first medium and the second medium of the one pair; a second separating line provided at a first portion of the sheet to which the first medium is stuck, the second separating line being located in the widthwise direction between the center position of the first medium in the widthwise direction and the first end of the first medium in the widthwise direction, the second separating line being at least extending in the longitudinal direction between the first endpoint and a first-medium end portion that is one of a first end and a second end of the first medium in the longitudinal direction, the second separating line comprising a portion formed through or cut in the sheet in the thickness direction; and a third separating line provided at a second portion of the sheet to which the second medium is stuck, the third separating line being located in the widthwise direction between the center position of the second medium in the widthwise direction and the first end of the second medium in the widthwise direction, the third separating line at least extending in the longitudinal direction between the second endpoint and a second-medium end portion that is one of a first end and a second end of the second medium in the longitudinal direction, wherein a side, with respect to the first endpoint, on which the first-medium end portion is located in the longitudinal direction is identical to a side, with respect to the second endpoint, on which the second-medium end portion is located in the longitudinal direction, the third separating line comprising a portion formed through or cut in the sheet in the thickness direction.
Another aspect of the disclosure relates to a tape comprising: a sheet having a strip shape; a plurality of pairs of first media and second media, each of the plurality of pairs comprising a first medium and a second medium arranged adjacent to each other in a longitudinal direction of the sheet, the first medium and the second medium being spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction, the first medium and the second medium being peelably stuck to the sheet; a first separating line formed at a portion of the sheet which is located between the first medium and the second medium of one pair of the plurality of pairs of the first media and the second media, the first separating line extending, in a widthwise direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, over at least a portion of a region extending in the widthwise direction from a first end of the sheet in the widthwise direction to a second end of the sheet in the widthwise direction, the first separating line comprising a portion formed through or cut in the sheet in a thickness direction of the sheet, the first medium comprising a first end and a second end in the widthwise direction, the first end of the first medium in the widthwise direction being nearer in the widthwise direction to the first end of the sheet in the widthwise direction than the second end of the first medium in the widthwise direction, the second medium comprising a first end and a second end in the widthwise direction, the second end of the second medium in the widthwise direction being nearer in the widthwise direction to the second end of the sheet in the widthwise direction than the first end of the second medium in the widthwise direction; a first cutting portion formed through the first medium and extending from the first end of the first medium in the widthwise direction to a first endpoint located between the first end of the first medium in the widthwise direction and a center position of the first medium in the widthwise direction; a second cutting portion formed through the second medium and extending from the second end of the second medium in the widthwise direction to a second endpoint located between the second end of the second medium in the widthwise direction and a center position of the second medium in the widthwise direction, the second endpoint being located in the longitudinal direction such that a sum of (i) a distance between the first endpoint and one of a first end and a second end of the first medium in the longitudinal direction, which one is nearer to the first separating line than the other, and (ii) a distance between the second endpoint and one of a first end and a second end of the second medium in the longitudinal direction, which one is nearer to the first separating line than the other, is equal to a length of the second medium in the longitudinal direction; a second separating line provided at a first portion of the sheet to which the first medium is stuck, the second separating line being located in the widthwise direction between the center position of the first medium in the widthwise direction and the first end of the first medium in the widthwise direction, the second separating line being at least extending in the longitudinal direction between the first endpoint and a first-medium end portion that is the one of the first end and the second end of the first medium in the longitudinal direction, the second separating line comprising a portion formed through or cut in the sheet in the thickness direction; and a third separating line provided at a second portion of the sheet to which the second medium is stuck, the third separating line being located in the widthwise direction between the center position of the second medium in the widthwise direction and the second end of the second medium in the widthwise direction, the third separating line at least extending in the longitudinal direction between the second endpoint and a second-medium end portion that is the one of the first end and the second end of the second medium in the longitudinal direction, wherein a side, with respect to the first endpoint, on which the first-medium end portion is located in the longitudinal direction is opposite to a side, with respect to the second endpoint, on which the second-medium end portion is located in the longitudinal direction, the third separating line comprising a portion formed through or cut in the sheet in the thickness direction.
Still another aspect of the disclosure relates to a tape cassette comprising: a tape roll comprising (a) a spool and (b) a tape wound around the spool, the tape comprising (i) a sheet having a strip shape, (ii) a plurality of pairs of first media and second media, each of the plurality of pairs comprising a first medium and a second medium arranged adjacent to each other in a longitudinal direction of the sheet, the first medium and the second medium being spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction, the first medium and the second medium being peelably stuck to the sheet, (iii) a first separating line formed at a portion of the sheet which is located between the first medium and the second medium of one pair of the plurality of pairs of the first media and the second media, the first separating line extending, in a widthwise direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, over at least a portion of a region extending in the widthwise direction from a first end of the sheet in the widthwise direction to a second end of the sheet in the widthwise direction, the first separating line comprising a portion formed through or cut in the sheet in a thickness direction of the sheet, the first medium comprising a first end and a second end in the widthwise direction, the first end of the first medium in the widthwise direction being nearer in the widthwise direction to the first end of the sheet in the widthwise direction than the second end of the first medium in the widthwise direction, the second medium comprising a first end and a second end in the widthwise direction, the first end of the second medium in the widthwise direction being nearer in the widthwise direction to the first end of the sheet in the widthwise direction than the second end of the second medium in the widthwise direction, (iv) a first cutting portion formed through the first medium and extending from the first end of the first medium in the widthwise direction to a first endpoint located between the first end of the first medium in the widthwise direction and a center position of the first medium in the widthwise direction, (v) a second cutting portion formed through the second medium and extending from the first end of the second medium in the widthwise direction to a second endpoint located between the first end of the second medium in the widthwise direction and a center position of the second medium in the widthwise direction, the second endpoint and the first cutting portion being equidistant in the longitudinal direction from a center position of the portion of the sheet in the longitudinal direction, which portion is located between the first medium and the second medium of the one pair, (vi) a second separating line provided at a first portion of the sheet to which the first medium is stuck, the second separating line being located in the widthwise direction between the center position of the first medium in the widthwise direction and the first end of the first medium in the widthwise direction, the second separating line being at least extending in the longitudinal direction between the first endpoint and a first-medium end portion that is one of a first end and a second end of the first medium in the longitudinal direction, the second separating line comprising a portion formed through or cut in the sheet in the thickness direction, and (vii) a third separating line provided at a second portion of the sheet to which the second medium is stuck, the third separating line being located in the widthwise direction between the center position of the second medium in the widthwise direction and the first end of the second medium in the widthwise direction, the third separating line at least extending in the longitudinal direction between the second endpoint and a second-medium end portion that is one of a first end and a second end of the second medium in the longitudinal direction, wherein a side, with respect to the first endpoint, on which the first-medium end portion is located in the longitudinal direction is identical to a side, with respect to the second endpoint, on which the second-medium end portion is located in the longitudinal direction, the third separating line comprising a portion formed through or cut in the sheet in the thickness direction; a ribbon roll that is a roll of an ink ribbon to be used for printing on the tape roll; and a housing that houses the tape roll and the ribbon roll.